A small Missouri town is enraged by the senseless killing of a small dog at the hands of a police officer that led the mayor to resign amid growing calls to shut down the police department.
Horrifying body camera footage captured the moment Teddy, a five-year-old, 13-pound dog, was tragically shot and killed by police officer Myron Woodson in Sturgeon on May 19.
Kevin Abrahamson resigned as mayor after Teddy’s owner Nicholas Hunter filed a $1 million lawsuit against the city and Officer Woodson, alleging his 14th Amendment rights were violated.
During a regular city council meeting Tuesday, dozens of Sturgeon residents came out to show their support for Teddy, reported Washington Post.
“This is your city, if you don’t speak up now, you may never change anything,” said a woman holding a “Justice for Teddy.”
Teddy (pictured), a five-year-old, 13-pound dog, was tragically shot and killed by police officer Myron Woodson in Sturgeon on May 19.
Outraged Sturgeon residents (pictured) came out to show their support for Teddy during a town hall and called for the police department to be shut down.
A sign from residents read: ‘We back blue except Woodson. Fire him!’
“I think until this whole issue with the police department is resolved, they’re going to shut it down,” one man said.
Body camera footage of the tragic moment begins with Teddy wandering across an open grass field while Woodson attempts to tie the dogs with a pole.
While trying to catch the dog, Woodson is heard saying, “Come on, baby.” Come on baby. There you go.’
Every time he ties the lasso around Teddy’s neck, the puppy retreats and runs away.
“I’m going to take you to get help,” Woodson tells the dog.
Minutes later, Teddy is seen playing with a rope tied to a tree while the officer can be heard cocking his gun in the background.
Woodson then shoots the disabled dog twice before walking away and interacting with a nearby neighbor.
“I had to send it away,” Woodson tells the neighbor.
Body camera footage of the tragic moment begins with Teddy wandering across an open grass field while Woodson attempts to tie the dogs to a post.
The woman tells the officer: “But I have children here, don’t you think you should warn before you shoot?”
Woodson ignores the neighbor’s concerns as he is seen waving goodbye to her shadow reflected on the grass.
The officer’s body camera then shows the moment Hunter arrives and confronts Woodson for killing his beloved pet.
—That’s not how you handle a situation. If a dog is a threat to a person and harms them or shows an immediate threat, that is when force is used,” Hunter tells Woodson as he chokes up.
In the video Hunter made, he asked Woodson: ‘Was my dog a threat to you or anyone else?’
“I see a dog walking blind; I don’t know the dog is blind,” Woodson responded.
When he allegedly said he believed Teddy needed to be put down, Hunter asked, “So you’re putting him out of his misery?”
‘What am I supposed to do?’ Woodson responded, pointing out that the small Missouri town does not have animal control.
“I don’t like shooting dogs,” the officer added.
The city has not fired Woodson, but he is on paid leave while an investigation is underway.
Teddy’s owner, Nicholas Hunter, filed a $1 million lawsuit against the city and Officer Woodson, alleging that his Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated.
In its initial statement the day after the shooting, the city of Sturgeon claimed that Woodson believed Teddy was rabid and feared he would be bitten, even though the officer reportedly made no such claims at the scene.
The city admitted that “it was later learned” that Teddy’s behavior was due to him being blind, and that “the animal’s lack of collar or tags influenced the SPD officer’s decision to euthanize the animal due to his belief of that he was hurt.” sick and abandoned.’
“This whole situation should have never happened, it was handled completely incorrectly,” said Teddy’s other owner, Abbey Harnish.
“Ultimately, nothing is going to give me my dog back, but there is something that needs to be done and changed with both the city and the police.”
Daniel Kolde, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit, said, “We believe Officer Woodson’s actions constitute felony animal abuse and, in addition to filing our civil lawsuit, we are asking the county attorney to file his own criminal charges.” . against this officer.’